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Hi Everyone
Obviously I am new here. I retired 6 months ago, and have realised that I need something to build. Something I can fall back on when I need to chill. So here I am, considering my first project.
I am not entirely new to model making. I used to be a wargamer in earlier years, and have built model ships, albeit simple ones. I have never done any planking.
So, to start I am looking at the Amati 'Lady Nelson' cutter. She seems to be reckoned as relatively simple, but yet producing a model that I would really love to have. I had to wrench my thoughts away from HMS Fly. Maybe later.
I have already ordered the 'Keith Julier' books to help me. A video would have been useful, but they seem to be from Australia or the US (I am in England) and very expensive for me.
So, I will start a log as soon as I have managed to smuggle the kit past my wife. I look forward to having fun, and getting to know you all here.
Best wishes
Ray
Nottingham UK
SAPIT QUI DEUM SAPIT

I am from South Carolina and just turned 74 and have been looking for something to do to get me away from the computer and the TV Set. Have build a number of plastic model ships but have found them less than desirable. Have just started building a wooden model of the Skip Jack and discovered that for such a small boat the plans are in a lot of detail. The only problem I am seeing is that all the wood is balsa and some foam board. My hands shake quite a bit and my eyesight isn't what it once was and I only have a desk to work on so am limited to space and tools.
Is there another boat that I could build that is geared toward the very, and I mean very, inexperienced? I have read about solid hulls, planked hulls and everything in between. Any advice to a novice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone,
I am new to the world of model ship building! I have been an avid woodworker for about 8 years now, making a variety of things from ink pens to large tables. I figured that I would finally try out model ships. Being an archaeologist, I have always been fond of the past (my focus is on prehistoric Native American cultures, namely Hopewell and Fort Ancient) and love the history and culture surrounding ships. This also comes from my love of the water, fishing, and being a scuba diver as well!
For my first project, I am hoping to order the Model Shipways Phantom through ModelExpo's "Build for Free" program (it is on backorder as of this morning). I have heard this is the way to go, since you can apply the credit of the purchase towards another ship once you have completed the Phantom and sent them the images.
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Tyler

Hello to all. I am overjoyed that I have joined your hobby, having watched from afar for years and being one of those guys that becomes transfixed in any museum (most recently the Maritime in Barcelona) around any ship model. In any event, I have been assembling some tools for a few years and of course bought a kit or two that were too ambitious for me. So they sat on a shelf, un built. Recently, I took a step back and purchased some vintage kits inexpensively from Ebay. I am now busily reading "Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern " and Frank Mastini's book, "Ship Modeling Simplified." I chose and started a vintage Viking solid hull model (by Marine Model Co, formerly of NY) and am having great fun with it. I could not resist so I am modifying bits as I go - a bit of carving, I plan to plank at least the deck, etc. I may even tackle carving the dragon's head and tail as these are supplied, and fairly nice, but they are lead* and seem a bit out of scale, not that this model is meant to be a museum piece by any means. Still, as my first, Mr. Mastini says its the one I will always love so I figured I would modify it a bit. I also have to say, I feel a bit like I am liberating these old ships from their dusty tombs. This one, for example, sat on someone's shelf just wanting to be built, for the last 50 yrs. (plans are copyright 1964.) Now it will see the light of day.
Anyhow, I really look forward to learning and maybe someday having something to offer. I am not retiring for another decade (at least!) but when I do, I hope to fish during the summer, and build ships all winter in Rockport MA. In the meanwhile, I do it when I can. I thank you all in advance for all you offer.
*(yes I have already read about these old lead fittings before the advent of Brittania and how to preserve them so hopefully this will work out ok.)

I am looking at building a WEE NIP first up as it is easy to get up and going but not sure if this will be correct. I am looking at just a bit of a pond boat but maybe a little racing with a few other old guys. Hopefully I may get my kids interested also. I use to sail a full size SABRE but the drout came and the boat went but not the joy of the sailing thus the down sizing. So hello and many thanks in advance for your assistance regards Mark in central Vic AU.

Hello my name is Emil! I'm 16y/o and come from Sweden.
I am new to shipbuilding and this forum and i just wanted to say hello. I have some experience in ordinary plastic models.
I might have bad english and some misspellings from time to time, forgive me for that.
Im currently wondering what a good starter kit would be, my goal is the Vasa but i figured that is maybe a bit too much for my first wooden ship.

Hallo,
I,m new in this hobby. Sold my own old sailing double ender sloop last year but can't say goodbuy to sailing.
So, trying througt model rc sailing.
Only like the Englisch classic sailing boats and ended up on your wbsite.
Looking for plans of a very nice gaffer or pilot cutter.
Sugestions are more than welcom.
Thanks.
Eduard from Holland

Hello from Cleveland, OH! Just recieved my first model as gift as was curious as to if there is a list of "must haves" before starting my project. I already have a dremel, small miter box, saw, and other modeling tools from other projects I work on, but was curious of anything else. Looking forward to getting started! Thanks!

Hi, I'm Gregg (US Navy Retired) and I am new to this forum. I've only work on one wooden model, and that was the Corel Scotland. I went to The Ages of Sail store yesterday and purchased the Amati HMS Bounty. It looks to be a nice challenge for me.
I loved working on the Scotland and I also love doing digital art/Illustrations. I have done some color pencil and painting, but the digital art has me sold.
Love hearing from others and would appreciate any help (tips) on the new project: HMS Bounty.

Hello all! I'm new to the game. I've been toying with the idea of building a scale model of my ship from my navy days. I'm an experienced woodworker but don't have a clue how to get or make scaled drawings of my ship.

I am a stranger in a forein land! Though I spent plenty of time in canoes and motor boats in my younger years, I have been on a sailboat exactly once in my life. My nautical vocabulary extends to port, starboard (and I know which is which), bow and stern and I know the gunnels on a canoe. However, I am overly ambitious to a fault.
I own a 24 inch long model of the Great Lakes schooner, the J. B. Newland that was built by my great grandfather, Frank J. Elsner, who lived in Racine, Wisconsin (where the Newland was based). He was born in 1855 (in Racine) and died in 1945.
A quick Google located a surprising amount of information. The J. B. Newland was built in Manitowoc, Wisconin in 1870. It was rebuilt in 1882 and a third mast added in 1887. One source says it was stranded on North Manitou Island shoal in Lake Michigan September 8, 1910 and broke upin storms and ice over time. The wreckage is a popular diving destination today.
I don’t know when my great grandfather built this model. It has only two masts which might suggest he built it sometime before 1887. He built a number of more elaborate models in later years making me think this was one of his earlier models. (Sadly I have no idea where the other models are today.) It is easy to see the similarities between the model and an online print of the actual ship in spite of the fact that the print was clearly made after the third mast was added. http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/005221
Sadly, my model is not in good shape. I suspect it is at least 100 years old--probably older. It has sat on a closet shelf for probably 30 years. The threads that form the rigging have deteriorated and several pieces of rigging and sails have fallen off. The whole boat is covered with dust and grime. (I am sure it has never been in a case. I don't think anyone ever took it very seriously except as a nice memento of my dad's grandfather.) I have superficially cleaned it (following tips from this forum and YouTube videos) but it needs a thorough “detailing”. On the positive side, the only part that I think is actually missing is one of the lifeboats. The anchor is detached but fortunatley was resting on the deck all these years. I originally thought that one of the hatch covers was missing but I found it had fallen into the hold. It is now back in place.
I think I remember that my mother told me my father had painted the sails and perhaps the whole boat. The sails are made of some stiff material. I am not sure what—maybe painted canvas (at least that’s the feel of them). In the prints I have found, there are four small sails on the bow but my model only has three. I don’t know if one is missing or if the extra was added after the model was made. If the sails should need to be replaced, the originals are definately in good enough shape to be used as patterns. I see also that parts of the sails were secured with wire rather than threads. At first I thought that was some of my father’s work but I can see that the wires are permanently embedded in the wood.
I would very much like to restore this model as a gift for my son and his children. I would like to clean it up and redo the rigging and repair the finish or possibly remove the peeling, bubbling paint and give it a natural finish if the wood is in good condition. (However, I am beginnning to think it was green originally so I probalby would not change it, if that is true.) I don’t know what kind of wood it is made of. I would like to stay true to the original model as much as possible. I would also like to do as much of the work as possible myself - mostly to keep it as an authentic family heirloom.
I know little about things maritime. I have only watched a few YouTube presentations about various aspects of ship model building. My hope is to find a mentor who will help me organize the steps and help me learn the skills I can and help me accept my limitations:) In another life, I was a microscopist and do have exprience working with small things and micro tools. I am realistic enough to know I may have to hire a professional for some (or even most) of the project. (I start to panic every time I look at al those loose threads or read about all the various knots and thread ratios and . . .) However, I would like to do as much as possible myself. To make matters more challenging, I live in a rural area on the northern California coast so would likely have to comute to the North Bay area to find my expert.
I have attached three photos of the model (after the initial clean-up) and a newspaper clipping about my great-grandfather, the builder. Though the article is about his ventriloquist dummy, there is a photo of one of his later models and reference to another. Though he worked in the carriage and then automotive industries in Racine, he was a talented artist, woodworker and musician and according to my dad, a very funny guy. I'd like to keep his memory alive for my son and his children.
I would be grateful for any advice about how to proceed
NVC

I've been out of the hobby for a few years and finally have time and money to start up again. I've had several nice ship models but they have all disappeared over the years during moves and such, USS Saratoga, USS Nimitz, USS Arizona, USS Missouri, USS Bowfin, Titanic, ect... Served in the Navy aboard a Nimitz class ship and loved it. Many years back my Great Aunt found a ship model in Florida on vacation and bought it for me. It was in a pretty rough way and seemed old. I started it but didn't get any further than cementing the hull halves together. It was the Revell 1/96 scale USS Constitution, and ironically I still have it after all this time. It's rather intimidating from where I stand as most of my successful builds were NASCAR models so this ship is a big step up in complexity. All the lines and sails are intimidating. But a friend goaded me into taking up the hobby again and While looking for references on lighting the gun-deck and captains cabin (an unsuccessful endeavor as I've read others here have found too!) I stumbled onto this site when my search engine brought up a build here on lighting the very same model. I had no idea that this model was so old until I read the posts here. I'm very excited to be on these forums and hope to learn how to improve my craft and perhaps move more into the age of sail with my hobby!
PS: anyone have tips on repairing sails that have cracked from age? lol!

There is never a lack of suggestions for new kits. The key point is to try and make kits that people want. The thread on MSW about kits you wished were made was helpful, but kind of all over the place. We have put together a list of potential kits we think might be interesting. So fill out the survey and send it to us by whichever means you like!
2014 Survey.pdf

Hello Everyone on MSW...
I am new here, I am comming from Split, Croatia, Europe... I work on the wooden ship kit projects, and I need advices sometimes... I get to the MSW website two days ago and I thought "what a wonderful place" ... so much modeler with different skills and experiences ... I would like to meet good people and present my previous work ... I made twenty complete wooden ship kit projects and so far, all of them are in the production and sale ...but first I have to apologize on the bad English ...
Hello everyone once again.

Hello to all, I am new to the hobby and happy to be here. I plan on learning a lot from the others here. From what I have seen so far there are some very talented people out there that really enjoy this hobby. I look forward to conversing with you and if at all possible I would love to meet people from my local area that are interested in this hobby as well. SO if you are in the Washington area, especially Seattle, please feel free to contact me. Bye for now.
Paul

Hello all!
I am new to wooden models and found this site while doing some research. I have already started build an old kit my father purchased many years ago. It is a Scientific Modes HMS Bounty solid hull. It has been quite an education.
I will start a build log shortly.
UncleDuck

Hi,
I'm a retired wildlife cinematgrapher. Due to nerological problems, I am losing my mobility, and other functions. I was forced to sell my camera equipment and leave the field of wildlife/nature filming last year, which has been my hobby for the past 10 years.
I am looking for a new hobby, possibily scale modelling, preferrably in wood. I have no knowledge about the subject, and I am not even sure if I still have the dexterity to build anything. I would like to learn how to build replica's of West Coast Fishing Boats. Salmon Trollers, Seiners, and Gill Netters. I don't see anyone else doing it. I believe there is a niche for it.
Anyway, here I am. Looking for direction.
David Rice
Sitka Alaska

Hello, everybody!
I'm new to these forums, even though I have been lurking in the shadows as a non-member for the past year. It's sad to see such a wealth of information has been lost, but I'm looking forward to adding a new build log to the site.
I have been planning to begin a large scale modeling project for quite some time now, but keep putting off. I'm hoping to finally take a crack at it. I have constructed scaled models since I was a child - my projects focus on scratch-built fantasy architectural pieces. Now, I am going to combine this passion with ship building.
Currently, I am designing a layout for a section of a seaport city. It will have two ships off the coast in the throes of battle. My ships of choice are a spanish galleon (San Francisco S. XVI, according to the plans) and a xebec/chebec similar to Le Requin. These will be used as a basis, as I plan to modify the designs slightly with fantasy elements.
After in-depth research, I have decided to build these ships in a 1/57 scale; I will be working with a great variety of war-game miniatures ranging from 28mm to 32mm scale. The ships will be scratch built due to the specific size I'm working with. Also, I have acquired many reference images including lost MSW build logs and ship plans. I obtained elevations and construction plans for the galleon, but unfortunately, I only have elevations for the xebec. They are beautiful plans, which you can see below, but I need construction plans to build the framework of the hull. I'm hoping someone can help me out with this. If any of you own a copy of the plans, it would be great if you could send me a high-res scan. I appreciate any and all assistance with getting my hands on these. I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys and girls!
EDIT: I can't upload the image even though it fits the size constraints!! Bah!

Hi
Am totally new to msw and modelling, so new I probably need diapers/nappies lol..
So before I start running away with myself, I thought I might try a little light reading
about the hobby ( excuse my wording for those serious enthusiasts )
Now to the brass tacks, can anyone help with recommending any free online books, magazines
that I may spend sometime reading as I go, bearing in mind I am clueless at the moment
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ALL
p.s also a little guidance on navigation of this site if poss as I wandering aimlessly at the moment
again thanks in advance all

Big hello folks,
I'm new to this and am a couple of days shy of completing my first plastic kit model - aida Luna !! Got plenty more ships in the shipyard after this one hoping to get done Ss France qe2 qm2 titanic ss oriana for a start !